Monday 21 Nov. 22
Unit 1 – osteoarthritis
8.75 million people in the UK have sought treatment for osteoarthritis. Women are more
likely than men to have sought treatment. osteoarthritis increases between the age of 45
and 75 years. Of those aged 75 years & over 49% of women and 42% of men have sought
treatment for osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis is the most common
What is it?
Osteoarthritis is a condition that effects your joints. The surfaces within your joints become
damaged so the joint doesn’t move as smoothly as it should. Some of the cartilage covering
the ends of the bone gradually roughens and becomes thin, an the bone underneath
thickens. All the tissues within the joints become more active than normal as if your body is
trying to repair the damage
What happens in osteoarthritis?
As if your body is trying to repair the damage. The bone at the edge of your joint grows
outwards, forming bony spurs called osteophytes.
The synovium (the inner layer of the joint capsule which produces synovial fluid) may
thicken and make extra fluid. This causes the joints to swell. The capsule and ligaments
(though bands that hold joints together) slowly thicken and contract as if they were trying to
make your joint more stable.
Symptoms
- Pain – the pain tends to be worse when you move your
- Stiffness
- A grating or grinding sensation
- Swelling
- Not being able to use your joints normally
Possible causes and risk factors
Many factors can increase your risk of osteoarthritis. Its often a mixture of these:
- Age usally starts from 40s onward. Don’t fully understand it and why its more
common in older people but it might be due to your musles weakening anfd your
body being less able to heal itself or your joint slowly wearing out over time.
- Gender
Unit 1 – osteoarthritis
8.75 million people in the UK have sought treatment for osteoarthritis. Women are more
likely than men to have sought treatment. osteoarthritis increases between the age of 45
and 75 years. Of those aged 75 years & over 49% of women and 42% of men have sought
treatment for osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis is the most common
What is it?
Osteoarthritis is a condition that effects your joints. The surfaces within your joints become
damaged so the joint doesn’t move as smoothly as it should. Some of the cartilage covering
the ends of the bone gradually roughens and becomes thin, an the bone underneath
thickens. All the tissues within the joints become more active than normal as if your body is
trying to repair the damage
What happens in osteoarthritis?
As if your body is trying to repair the damage. The bone at the edge of your joint grows
outwards, forming bony spurs called osteophytes.
The synovium (the inner layer of the joint capsule which produces synovial fluid) may
thicken and make extra fluid. This causes the joints to swell. The capsule and ligaments
(though bands that hold joints together) slowly thicken and contract as if they were trying to
make your joint more stable.
Symptoms
- Pain – the pain tends to be worse when you move your
- Stiffness
- A grating or grinding sensation
- Swelling
- Not being able to use your joints normally
Possible causes and risk factors
Many factors can increase your risk of osteoarthritis. Its often a mixture of these:
- Age usally starts from 40s onward. Don’t fully understand it and why its more
common in older people but it might be due to your musles weakening anfd your
body being less able to heal itself or your joint slowly wearing out over time.
- Gender
